THREE young athletes from Sk8house Artistic Club have returned home with podium finishes at the 2026 Taiwan Open Roller Skating Championships.
The competition was held from 13 – 19 April in Zhubei City. The girls travelled from their club in Carrum Downs to compete in their first international competition.
Sierra Fisher and Makenzie Waddingham competed in the Youth Ladies Solo Dance division, taking home first and second respectively, while Anabel Waterland competed in the Senior Ladies Solo Dance division and came out in first place.
Club director Bernadine Geary said the results were a proud moment for the entire Sk8house community.
“They’ve been at the rink since they were young girls and its taken eight years to get to that level,” Geary said.
“So, for the club, it’s amazing watching these girls grow and nurture them and we’re so proud that their dream has come true.”
The Taiwan Open is part of a series of annual international competitions that draws athletes from across the world. For the Sk8house skates, it was an opportunity to represent their club, as well as Australia, on an international stage.
“All they want to do is represent Australia and go out there and skate and be these beautiful, elegant, magnificent skaters and they have achieved that,” Geary said.
Their achievements represent years of hard work and training. They train up to five days a week for several hours at a time, alongside additional conditioning.
“It’s very physical,” Geary said. “They need to keep up their fitness as athletes.”
The club has around 50 members, ranging from young beginners to adult skaters. They have a strong developmental pathway, and the recent success is helping to inspire the next generation.
“You can already tell there’s a bit of a lift in everybody else, and they look up to them, and you can see that they aspire to be like them,” Geary said.
Geary believes the girls’ achievements show that nothing is impossible if you work hard.
“You can achieve your dreams,” she said.
“And as for anyone looking to go into artistic skating, or dance or whatever it is, we’ve got local girls from Carrum Downs who have been able to achieve their achieve their dreams.”
First published in the Frankston Times – 5 May 2026